Fight for my Rose
by Regii the Lunar Wolf
Summary: Gijinka, three-shot. Set in medievil era. A young female knight travels to a land on an errand for her Queen, only to find her life's solution... in the form of a young woman. GardevoirxLucario, Yuri. Rated T for mild violence and themes.
1. Chapter 1

_This was inspired by (and dedicated to) my loved one, Moonlit Assassin. She__'__s an amazing writer and her HeatranxEntei gijinka from the medieval styled realm was such an inspiration that I couldn__'__t RESIST writing this. My story takes place a year after her HeatranxEntei three-parter in her 100 themes challenge. This involves some couples from our Pokemon role-plays we do involving our Pokemon as gijinka characters themselves._

_Before you ask, __'__Gijinka__'__ basically means Pokemon with human qualities. Not like anthromorphs, but human shapes with personalities and clothing and styles to them that sort of represent the animal (or Pokemon) that they__'__re based upon. For example, a Charmander gijinka would be a young boy with orange hair, brown eyes and orange pants, with a flame pattern on the back._

_Anyway, that aside… I hope you enjoy. Remember that this is based in the medieval period so some things may seem a bit different than most stories… also that my interpretation is kind of crap so things may be a bit different to MA__'__s EnteixHeatran one done in her Pokemon 100 themes challenge. Thank you once again, Moonlit Assassin, for inspiring me to write this. _**(Star: You're welcome, baby. ;D)**

_**Disclaimer:**__ Pokemon is (C) to Nintendo and Gamefreak. All other copyrights belong to their respective owners. I__'__ll put which characters belong to who at the end of the story._

_Enjoy!_

**Fight for my Rose (Part I)**

**(01)**

No matter how safe everything seemed, training never stopped.

The Kingdom of Sinnoh was often ridiculed for being targeted by odd folk and raiders seeking their fair share of wealth from us. However, the Royal Guardian Army took care of any problems the kingdom had. Our preferences for things were ridiculed by many, too. For instance, Sinnoh had such a large mountain in the middle... so why did the castle stay on top of it, yet no outskirt cities were even on the mountain's side. For another, our customs were different; we in Sinnoh find marriage in royalty adequate, but only when the king decides it so. In places such as Johto, a lover must be chosen at the age of eighteen on the prince or princess' eighteenth birthday.

For another, Sinnoh was the only kingdom known to let women apply for becoming a royal guard.

"That's enough. Your training is now over."

I wiped the sweat from my forehead, sheathing my longsword and straightening up, letting my long blue hair flow loose behind me and over my armoured shoulders. My opponent, a young man with green hair that covered most of his face, slumped over on the floor after I had knocked him to the ground, his red eyes locking onto my own with a small smile on his face... which soon vanished as the voice of our commander, General Sala, interrupted us both.

"I expect just as much effort tomorrow! You're both doing a great job."

"Thank you, sir!" I bowed slightly. "May I request permission to leave, sir?"

"Very well. Both of you may go." General Sala turned and began to leave, his arms folded. "Let Lucy know that I'm hoping she's still open for dinner tonight."

"Yes sir," I nodded, dusting off my armour and removing my gloves, reaching over to help my opponent to his feet. The young man gently pushed my hand away, smiling as he stood to his feet.

"You're getting tough, Luca. You'll get that promotion in no time."

"Thanks, Galden..." I gave him a weak smile. "Come on, why don't we head back to the palace?"

Galden nodded, dropping his armour to the floor behind him, stretching his arms out as we began to head back to the palace. The palace was situated right on top of Mount Coronet, the mountain that resided right in the middle of the Sinnoh region. The palace was home to King Palkia and Queen Dialga, with their children – Prince Mesprit and Princess Uxie. The Royal Guard's soldiers were allowed to live on-site, but not actually in the palace itself due to obvious reasons. Myself and my sister, Lucy, lived relatively close to the training grounds because Lucy had hoped to catch General Sala's eye.

Finally reaching the castle gates and being allowed through, we headed up towards the main doors to report back in. However, so sooner had we arrived at the front door than a shrill screech cut us off.

"GAAAAALDEEEEEEN!"

The young knight had just enough time to turn around and brace himself as something small, brown-skinned and with a lot of blonde hair crashed into him, sending the poor man sprawling. I couldn't help but chuckle as the girl hugged her boyfriend tightly, nuzzling her face into his bare chest.

"Yay! Flopsy's so happy you're back, Galden!"

"C'mon, Lady Flopsy, it was only training..." Galden laughed, pushing himself up with the young girl still clinging from around his neck. "You act as if I was off to die or something..."

The young, dark-skinned girl pouted at him and tilted her head, her amber eyes staring into his red ones. "Flopsy worries about you, Galden."

"I'll be fine! R-really Lady Flopsy, there's no need!"

I continued to laugh softly, watching them both talk. Flopsy was the castle's messenger and all-around great friend to everyone. Although she was almost my own age, she still acted like a little girl, and her size of about three and a half foot tall often got her mistaken for one. Strangely though, her long, perfectly blonde hair stretched all the way to her ankles and trailed a little on the floor. She was the daughter of Sir and Lady Lopunny, two posh merchants from town. They didn't know what to do with Flopsy's nature, so Queen Dialga, out of the kindness of her heart, took the young girl in as an official messenger.

"Ooh! Oh oh oh ooh!" Flopsy suddenly bounced happily. "Lady Luca, Queen Dialga would like to see you!"

My trance was suddenly broken as I jumped in alarm. "Wh-what? H-her majesty wishes to see... me?"

"Mm-hmm," Flopsy nodded. "You know, I got a lot of running around to do and I think she wants you to go to another place or something for a delivery."

"Oh... well, alright..." I nodded calmly, leaning back a little. "Well... I'll go see her highness, then."

"I'll let Lucy know about General Sala's word on tonight," Galden nodded at me, making me smile. "Good luck, Luca."

I picked up my things, and after bidding farewell to Flopsy and Galden, began to walk towards the palace's throne room. It was in the centre of the palace, which made it easy to get to from any location in the area. I nodded to the guards and informed them of my summoning from the queen and they allowed me to pass. Up against the wall on the far side of the room was the throne and sitting in it, elaborate in all her glory, was her royal highness, Queen Dialga herself, her long blue hair with silver streaks flowing like silk down her back. She gave me a questioning look with her eyes, and I quickly dropped onto one knee and bowed deeply.

"Queen Dialga, you wished to see me?"

"I did," the Queen spoke, her voice one of high authority and power, but with a soft side buried slightly in there too. "Knight Luca, I wish to ask a favour of you."

"Y-yes, your highness?"

Dialga gently reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded slip of paper, as well as a large bag of what appeared to be gift offerings. I blinked as she stood up and handed me the bag.

"These are offerings to the neighbouring Kingdom's lords, King Groudon and Queen Kyogre. The note..." the Queen passed the note down to me. "This... is from my daughter to Prince Regirock, their son. See that he receives it personally from you and that he is sure to reply to my daughter's... acknowledgement."

"...Acknowledgement?" I blinked vaguely, but I knew better than to ask questions as I spotted the young face and the short golden locks of Princess Uxie peering out from behind the throne, her red beaded necklace that all the royal children wore visible against her pale skin.

"Very well your highness, it is done. I shall leave immediately for the Hoenn Kingdom."

"Thank you, and do not fail…" Queen Dialga gave me a warm smile, fluttering her eyelashes a little. "You know how the King can be…"

I nodded and turned, ready to leave. King Palkia, although a kind man, did not tolerate failure well and could have a bit of a harsh temper sometimes. Prince Mesprit had engaged himself to Princess Suicune of Johto about a year ago, and now that he had found out about Azelf's whereabouts after she eloped with a dark sorcerer, he was determined to keep his sister away from her father, which is why we were so worried.

If he found out, we would all be executed. Including Azelf.

**(02)**

A few hours later, I was sitting on the boat bound for the Hoenn kingdom. My eyes fixed on the setting sun ahead of me, the boat due West to Hoenn. I could already see land in the vague distance – a mountain, that I had learned was a volcano named Mount Chimney, was silhouetted against the sunset like a giant un-topped cone pointing into the heavens.

Smoke was visible above the mountain's peak, and it took me a few seconds to see that it wasn't actually from the volcano itself. My eyes trailing downwards as we approached, a shocking sight met my eyes that caused my blood to churn.

The port town was demolished – nothing but rubble and charred remains of houses. Many people were attempting to rebuild parts of the town, the most noticeable being the port itself, which was the pride of this town. Slateport town was known for its fabulous trade and wondrous resources from the ocean; fishing, pearls, seaweed, wildlife... these were only a few.

To see it in ruins like this was... sad.

As soon as the boat docked on one of the re-built piers, I quickly jumped off, running down the planks and entering the heart of the town. The pavements had streaks of blood and burnt debris on them, stone pavements cracked beyond repair and still with some houses smouldering. My eyes slowly panned around from under my helmet to meet with the sight of the town hall, now just a huge pile of rubble.

"Excuse me!" I jumped, turning around to face a young man walking towards me. His body was thick-set with a hefty amount of muscle on him, shown off by his lack of a shirt, and his tattered rags for trousers hung off of him as he walked over to me. He must have been strong, I noted, because he was dragging an entire carriage of debris behind him with a single hand, and his face didn't even show signs of a sweat.

"Good day, sir," I nodded curtly to him. "I am here on official business to meet with two people – King Groudon and also a young man by the name of Prince Regirock. Their son, apparently."

"That is true, but also that…" The man leaned back proudly, flexing his muscles. "Would be me. I am Prince Regirock of the Regi siblings. What may I do for you, m'lady?"

I smiled, fishing into my pocket and pulling out the small slip of paper from Princess Uxie, "This was asked to be delivered to you. Princess Uxie hopes you read and wishes for an immediate response."

Taking the letter, the young man opened it and read it softly to himself. I caught the words 'loving', 'arrange' and 'propose', but other than that, very little. The man paused quietly after the letter, his face breaking into a smile as he nodded and placed the letter in his pocket.

"Let her know that I await the dates of when she wishes for me to move to Sinnoh for our wedding."

"M-marriage?" I jumped in alarm. "Wow, I never knew... a-alright then, thank you, Prince Regirock."

"Roooooooocky!" The pair of us turned to see a young girl with blue hair run over to him. "We've put out the fire at the marketplace!"

"Good work, Icey," Rock nodded, giving her a pat on the back. "Go let Steel and Gigas know I'll be on my way soon to clear up some mess."

"Okay!" The younger of the siblings darted off back the way she had come, her ice-blue hair flowing in the cold sea-breeze. Her brother began to follow, waving back at me to follow him as well.

"This is to the north of the town. The castle of King Groudon and Queen Kyogre is this way, too. Follow me and I'll take you to the northern exit to the town."

I nodded, hurrying to catch up with the burly youth, his short brown hair covered in dirt and soot I'd just noticed now. These siblings were obviously trying to help. I guess not all nobles are bad people.

Then again, I belong to a noble clan back home – the Lucario clan, so I guess some clans and siblings here work in similar ways.

"So what happened here?" I asked, looking around at more wrecked buildings. "Was there a huge fire or something?"

"Tch, I wish..." Regirock frowned, glancing at me. "Pirates."

"P-pirates?" I stared at him in utmost surprise. "This was all done by... pirates?"

The youth nodded as we approached the centre of town. Regice, the girl who had approached us earlier was standing near the front of the market, collecting up the smashed pottery or broken supplies. A few feet back, a girl with black hair and very pale skin was studying the damage on the main market square, her arms folded over her chest with an absent look on her face. Finally, right at the back of the market, the oldest of the siblings – a young woman in her mid-twenties with pearly-white hair and pink eyes with a lot of muscle – was attempting to move a collapsed pillar from out of the way of something. As I watched her, the woman pushed with all her might and the pillar leaned up and became vertical again with a rumbling crash, revealing a battered but intact gate behind it.

"Thanks, Regigigas!" Rock called out to the woman, who turned and gave him a wave as the second oldest girl walked over to us. "Registeel, what's the damage report?"

"Not good." Was the simple curt response as she walked right past us and to the carriage, dragging a hefty bag of sand out and dragging it back to where she was standing. Prince Regirock sighed and turned to me.

"Over there is the north exit. Take that road there to get to the Kingdom's capital city, Mauvillus."

"Thank you, sir," I nodded, bowing a little. "I shall let Princess Uxie know of your response, as well."

"That reminds me..." Regirock nodded, looking over to another carriage that was there. "Do you mind if I tag along? I wish to get something for Princess Uxie. Some flowers, perhaps?"

Agreeing, the two of us took the carriage and took one of their horses to pull it. After explaining to his sisters where he was going and why (Gigas thought it was sweet, Registeel seemed as emotionless as ever and Regice promptly went into a squealing fit at the idea of her older brother getting married to a princess), the two of us set off towards Mauvillus.

The journey there was mostly uneventful, with only a few people stopping us. I can remember Regirock asking me about Sinnoh a lot, and I told him as much as I could since he was planning to move there with the princess. As we approached Mauvillus, the castle loomed up just north of the town, its high arched windows visible from even this distance. Reaching the gate, the two of us left the carriage with a Hoenn Army stable-handler and moved into town on foot.

The first thing that caught my eye was the large amount of bustling people around, many hurrying to buy shopping or to get home quickly, others just loitering in general or browsing stalls. My eyes travelled all over the square, moving from shop to shop to see if I could find somewhere to direct the prince to getting the princess some flowers. However, no matter how hard I looked, there was nothing to do with flowers at all. Stalls selling pottery, food, weaponry, scrolls... but no flower shops whatsoever.

"Oh for crying out loud..." Regirock mumbled from next to me, "This is hopeless! Is there NOWHERE around here that sells flowers?"

"I'm sure there must be," I nodded calmly. "However I must get to the castle. It was nice travelling with you, Prince Regirock. I hope you find your flowers. I will see you soon to pick them up."

"Alright then..." Regirock nodded, and began to walk away until something caught our attention.

"E-excuse me..."

It was a voice, a voice that made my heart freeze. It was such a beautiful voice, not expected to be heard in a bustling town like this, like an angel in a sandstorm. I turned slowly, meeting to where the voice was coming from, and my eyes widened.

"I... I heard you were looking for flowers..."

The voice belonged to a beautiful young woman, almost around the same age as I was, with long green hair and soft, ruby eyes that showed a kind heart, a loving soul and so much more. Her face was pale, and she wore a soft, loose green sleeveless top. A soft, silk, white dress slid from her waist all the way to her ankles, blowing up slightly at the lightest of breezes with her bare feet on the stone pavement. Her small hands were clutched in front of her with a small basket of flowers in them, a small chain around her neck ending in a red flower at the end of the piece of jewellery.

My mind had gone blank. Just looking at this beautiful young woman had made my mouth dry up and my head spin. I tried to open my mouth to reply, but my mouth was so dry that I couldn't say a word, just a soft, rasping gasp of amazement. Even though she was a little scruffy and her clothes were a little dirty, she shone like crystal, putting everything else to shame around her.

"Yeah," Prince Regirock said from next to me, approaching her. "We are looking for flowers. Know where a shop is?"

"Um, well... my store is a flower shop..." The woman replied shyly, turning away a little. "Just down this street if you'd like to see... the selection isn't too grand, but—"

"Any selection is better than none – let's go, Miss Luca," Regirock nodded, following the young woman. I had no choice but to follow. Even if I didn't want to, my legs wouldn't have allowed me to walk away anyway, and my mouth didn't release words to protest.

Nobody had ever been able to take my breath away like that. Let alone a girl.

We arrived at a small shop that was secluded from the rest of the street, a cracked sign with rotting wood and no visible signs to show it was a flower shop. Prince Regirock looked at the woman sceptically as I raised an eyebrow, my heart still pounding.

"This... is a flower shop?" Regirock asked, his voice tainted with disbelief. "I'm sorry, but I see no flowers."

"I-inside... p-please don't go..." That single plea was enough to snatch my attention. In one swift movement, I had grabbed the prince's arm and dragged him into the shop behind me, watching the woman as a soft, pleasant smile appeared on her face.

Inside was completely different to outside, however. The walls and edges of the store were lined with pots upon pots of beautiful flowers – roses, daffodils, violets, lavender, bluebells, sunflowers, and even a few incredibly rare plants that I had only rarely seen in Sinnoh. Over near the far wall was a small shelf, each pot on it containing a beautiful flowering plant with small berries hanging off them. I noticed a large pink-flowered plant with small, round, blue berries hanging from the branches, as well as the plant next to it which was covered in large, white flowers – a Leppa plant. Finally, what really caught my attention was the plant at the far end, a small tree with large, blue flowers with small green berries on them.

"Is... that a Lum berry plant?"

"Yes, it is," the young woman entered in behind us, noticing where I was looking at. "I got that rarity not too long ago, and it took time to grow... but look now, it's in bloom... isn't it pretty?"

"It is," I noticed I finally had my voice back to me, and I turned to face her. "I'm sorry; we never caught your name."

"I'm Gabrielle..." The young woman smiled. "Gabrielle Gardevoir."

"Oh..." I trailed off, still staring at her. "And... you grow flowers here?"

"Yes," The young woman turned her head a little as Prince Regirock began to stroll around looking for flowers for Princess Uxie. "But... I barely get customers at all. Very few people notice me and even less want to come into the shop..."

"Have you tried doing it up a little?" I asked, waving a hand vaguely to outside the front door. "If it was a bit more noticeable..."

"I-I have!" Gabrielle frowned sadly. "B-but...I'm sorry, ma'am, I must be annoying you..."

"Not at all," I smiled at her. "I'm quite intrigued about how you managed to make these flowers grow in a place like this."

"W-well..." Gabrielle's voice trailed off and her hands began to knead her dress slightly. "Um... you see..."

"Magic?"

The young woman looked up in shock, but seeing my calm face, she gave a shy nod. "Y-yes, but I don't use it to harm, h-honest! Don't lock me up, I sw—"

"Relax," I gave her a warm smile. "I'm not bothered by magic. So..." My voice lowered considerably so Prince Regirock couldn't hear me. "You do witchcraft?"

Gabrielle nodded quietly. "Please... you won't tell anyone, will you?"

"Of course not," I smiled. "I don't want an innocent and beautiful girl like yourself to get burned at the stake. Your secret's safe with me, Miss Gabrielle."

"Oh... th-thank you..." She gave a wide smile, and her face flushed a little. "I've... never been called beautiful by anyone... let alone another lady... especially a knight..."

With that sentence, I realised that I was still meant to do an errand at the castle, and I frowned a little. "Well I need to go to the castle to see King Groudon and Queen Kyogre. My Queen, her highness Dialga, asked me to deliver some things to them."

"Oh!" Gabrielle brightened up a little. "If you head north from here, the castle's really close. Just take a left out of this shop, go down the street and take a right. Go straight on and you'll be there."

"Thank you, m'lady," I bowed a little in thanks, and she gave a soft giggle that made my whole body shiver. Was it magic... was she using magic to do this to me?

...Was I really attracted to another woman?

**(03)**

A short while later I was out of the shop and heading in the direction that Gabrielle had told me to go. Sure enough, a few minutes of walking had brought me to the castle gate. After letting the guards know what I had and why I was there, they let me through.

The castle was enormous and immaculate compared to the small city around it, its high arches looming over the expanse of gardens that it had. Grinning quietly to myself, I walked past a few fields where some maids were attending the gardening and many flowers of the castle grounds.

Watching this brought my mind back to Gabrielle, and my mind began to act in strange ways. I could imagine the two of us, just sitting together, in a flower field... a field of flowers she had grown herself. My mind was imagining the two of us doing unspeakable things to each other, and I could feel my blood begin to boil and my face heat up considerably.

Before I knew it, I was at the door of the castle. Pushing it open slightly, I slipped in and closed it behind me, composing myself. A young man was standing across the hall from me, his arms folded and his green hair hanging loose except at the back, where it stuck up in four, long points in a cross shape. His green hair was also held together by a large, yellow bandana that kept it from falling out of its design. His clothes meant one of royalty, but not as high as a king or queen. Perhaps... was he a prince too?

"Good day, sir," I greeted, bowing. "I am here to deliver something to King Groudon and Queen Kyogre from her highness, Queen Dialga from Sinnoh."

"So I heard..." The man nodded, walking over to me. "I am Rayquaza, their personal advisor and older brother to Groudon. I will take it and deliver it to him personally."

"Very well..." I handed him the sack of gifts and he took it gratefully. Now that he was closer to me, I could really tell how tall he was – at least two metres, possibly even thirty to forty centimetres taller than that.

"Be wary on your way back, young Knight, there is trouble brewing..." he warned me as I turned to leave. "Bandits and pirates have been attacking our island recently. I do not wish for something to befall such a kind-hearted knight like yourself."

"I shall be careful, thank you." I nodded back to him as I left the castle. As the door began to close behind me, I caught a glimpse of a young woman with red hair coming down the long staircase and wrapping her arms around the tall man, herself being incredibly short for her age, her hair done back into two, small pigtails behind her and her long red dress trailing a little on the floor. Seeing her reminded me of Flopsy back home, and I gave a small chuckle of appreciation.

Heading back into the town, I realised how late it was getting and I knew it was time to head back home to Sinnoh. But first... I wished to make one final stop.

Taking a left, I looked out for the shop on my right, which I spotted easily and headed inside. Prince Regirock had obviously left, and the shop looked like it was about to close up for the night. Heading towards the back, I spotted the green hair and white dress of Gabrielle tending to her berry plants at the back. As I watched, she put down a watering can she used and waved her hands, holding one lightly above the plants. A small, golden ball of energy floated out of her palm and floated above the flowers, beaming rays of almost artificial sunlight down upon the plants, whose flowers leaned up towards it, seeking the nutrients. Gabrielle gave a soft smile and turned around, finally noticing me.

"O-oh! M-Miss knight!"

"Please," I whispered calmly, stepping out into the back of the shop. "I'm Luca. There's no need for formalities."

"...Luca..." She stared at me softly, before smiling. "A beautiful name for a beautiful knight."

My eyes widened as my face turned dark pink. "U-um, th-thank you... So Gabrielle…" I turned to look at the flowers. "This is... growth magic?"

"Yes. It's a magic called 'Sunny Day'," She replied softly, "It helps plants grow and can dry up water. The more skilled the magic user, the more powerful their magic is. My mother could cast rain to help our garden grow when we lived in the north-eastern part of the island, and my sister taught me how to make things levitate before... she passed on."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that..."

"Don't worry, you didn't know..." Gabrielle folded her arms, smiling over at me as she walked closer. "So what brings you here?"

"I just..." I frowned a little. "...wanted to see you, really."

Gabrielle blushed a little, smiling gently at me. "That's sweet, Luca. I wish more people were like you."

"Well, you know..." I frowned a little, "You're like me. You're such a sweet girl... I hate seeing someone like you in a place like this with no customers. I wish I could do something for you."

"N-no, it's okay... I kind of like it here..." Gabrielle smiled, but it was wavering and seemed extremely false. "It's... a nice place. But I would like to move somewhere where more people can visit me."

"Hm..." I frowned a little at her. "I want to help you, Gabrielle. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Well..." Gabrielle sighed quietly. "I... wish I could leave here... for... you know..." Her hands kneaded her dress again and her face blushed. "I've... broken the law more than just witchcraft..."

"Wh-what?" I stared at her, aghast. "Wh-what have you done? You don't look like the type to kill or steal or—"

"N-nothing like that..." Gabrielle turned away. "Y-you see... this kingdom doesn't take kindly to, um... people like me..."

"Witches?"

"Not just a witch, I'm also... um..." She frowned, then looked at me quietly. "Do you... have a man, Luca?"

"What?" I blinked in surprise, lowering my arms. "...No, I don't. I'm not really into finding a guy for me. I don't know whether I even like most guys... sure they're nice, but I've found no guys who are attractive in my eyes. Why do you ask?"

"Well... I'm sure you'll find a man..." Gabrielle smiled. "It's just... I was told to find a man to marry soon... but I can't find a man I even like. In fact, I find most girls more attractive than guys."

My eyes widened. "You mean you're...?"

"A... homosexual, yes..." Her eyes closed and her head turned away. "P-p-please... d-don't think badly of m-me, I..."

"Forget it, it's alright..." I reached up, wrapping my arms gently around her neck and pulling her into a soft hug. "I don't mind at all. It's not illegal in Sinnoh to be a homosexual so I'm not bothered by it. You're a great woman, Gabrielle. Don't take this as a problem, alright?"

"I... alright..." Gabrielle's arms slid up to wrap around my back gently. "You know... though... it is illegal in the Hoenn Kingdom to be of that orientation..."

"Oh," I frowned a little. "Why?"

"I don't know... King Groudon just decided it so," Gabrielle rested her head on my shoulder. "I... I just... wish I was free to express myself..."

"...Tell you what," I began, leaning back. "It seems that you're two things here that are illegal, but they're perfectly fine in Sinnoh. Would you like to move to Sinnoh?"

Gabrielle's eyes widened and she took a step back. "L-Lady Luca, I couldn't possibly ask you to—"

"Sure you can," I grinned. "Don't worry about it – I'll take you there personally, Gabrielle."

"Th-thank you, Luca..." Gabrielle's eyes began to tear up. "Th-thank you so much... b-but... why are you doing all of this... f-for me...?"

My eyes softened and my hands rose gently to stroke her cheeks, my thumbs slowly reaching across and wiping the tears from her eyes. Breathing softly, I wrapped my arms gently around her neck, pulling her closer to me. We were so close that I could feel her breath on my face, tasting of Oran berries. Her face was bright red, her breath shallow, her eyes half-closing and soft. Our faces were centimetres apart now, staring into each others' eyes.

There was a sudden bang as the door opened from the front of the shop. Both of us quickly pulled away, blushing immensely as a familiar face entered the shop.

"Hello Lady Gabrielle, Lady Luca. I expected to find you both here."

"P-Prince Regirock!" I bowed to the prince, who folded his arms. "I... didn't see you come in."

"No problem – hey, could you deliver these to Princess Uxie for me?" Prince Regirock handed me a large bouquet of flowers and a small note within them. I nodded happily, and Regirock turned. "The port is fine now, you may leave. If you want to travel with me, I'll be at the gate for a while."

"Th-thank you, Sir!" I bowed to him as he left, leaving us both in silence. Nothing stirred for a while until I finally turned to Gabrielle, staring at her quietly.

"I... I should go..."

"Uh... y-yeah..." Gabrielle nodded quietly. "W-will you... come back tomorrow...?"

"Sure, of course. I can take you to Sinnoh tomorrow if you get all your stuff together by sundown."

"Great!" Gabrielle smiled warmly. "Thank you, Luca... well, um..."

"...S-see ya..." I smiled at her softly, my face blushing and my hands sweating.

Once I'd exited the shop, I paused briefly before dashing into a run towards the gate. What was happening to me? Why was I doing this to a woman I'd only just met today? Why was I... doing all of this for her?

Had I... really fallen in love with another woman...?

**(04)**

_Okay, so that__'__s part one. I hope you enjoy, and remember __–__ it__'__s Gijinka, so they__'__re humans, not Pokemon. Personally, I__'__m liking this so far, but it__'__s not up to me, who am I kidding?_

Tell me what you think! The Review button_'__s just there!_

**+Cam/Regii **_**and his faithful proofreader and lover, Star (aka Moonlit Assassin. =P)**_


	2. Chapter 2

_Okay, so here__'__s part two. I hope you liked part one, and I hope you__'__ll enjoy this part, too. You__'__ll meet Lucy _**(Star: LUUUUCY!)**_ in this chapter, and my favourite threesome, too… yes, you heard me right. Anyway, Prepare for some cool fun!_

_Oh, and the reason for the numbers was because I had to split this into several bits. The numbers would be where the page breaks would be, but I used it for scene choosing and where I should end it. Ignore them; they basically act as Scene Dividers._

_**Disclaimer:**__ In part one, can__'__t be bothered to repeat._

**Fight for my Rose (Part II)**

A few hours later, having made it back to Sinnoh relatively quickly, I was now sitting on the front lawn of the Guard's house. It wasn't my turn for guard duty tonight, but since Lucy was tired from her and Sala's courtship, it was up to me to take her shift.

I hadn't really spoken to anyone since I'd gotten back. I'd let King Palkia know that their delivery was a success and handed Princess Uxie the flowers. The young girl had gone a deep shade of red and quickly hidden her face into the red roses as if trying to hide her face with the red flowers. She had always been a little bit shy on the romance scale ever since her brother, Prince Mesprit, had gotten wed to Princess Suicune from Johto a year ago against his father's permission, as well as Azelf having eloped.

Thinking of this brought me to reality slightly. It seemed to me that all around me, love was blooming and happiness was shining all over. And there I was, stuck in the middle of it, with nothing. Sala and Lucy made a great couple together, both dominant and striving to be the best. Flopsy and Galden; Flopsy was the hyper-active youngster and Galden was the tall, handsome prince of her dreams. Even the royal family; Uxie and Regirock, Mesprit with Suicune and King Palkia and Queen Dialga all had their share of romantic happiness together. There was also that girl who King Groudon's older brother, Rayquaza, was with. Love was everywhere…but with me.

Maybe... that was why I'd fallen for Gabrielle... but then, I was a...

"Luca?"

I jumped in alarm, spinning on the small seat to face the newcomer. My shoulders dropped when I saw the familiar blue nightgown and wavy locks of blue hair, the girl's red eyes locking onto my own, almost identical to mine.

"Lucy... hello sister."

Lucy was a little bit older than me, her battling skills were top-notch, and she'd recently been promoted to a 'berserker', the highest rank of guard there was. She was given official duties to guard the royals if they travelled and to risk her life for their king and queen. Although he hated to admit it, Lucy was much stronger than General Sala (which was a small way we liked to tease him), and she was the only warrior guard in our troop to be able to wield a two-handed sword with one hand. She had a cold, hard exterior at first, but close friends and relatives knew that she had a kind heart and would nearly always put others before her.

We were quite alike. No wonder we were twins; she was sixteen hours older than I was.

"Luca, are you alright?" Lucy frowned a little, walking out of the barracks and sitting next to me on the log, staring out over the town through the iron bars of the gates. I turned to glance at her as her head tilted back, looking up at the stars.

"You seem... really distant and off today. Something happen over in Hoenn?"

"N-no..." I lied, lowering my head. "Why... do you ask?"

"Because..." I jumped and looked back around. Both Flopsy and Galden were standing a few feet away, smiling at me. "You haven't spoken to any of us since you got back. Lucy's your sister, and Flopsy and I are your closest friends."

"I'm sorry... I've had a long day."

"That's a lie and Flopsy knows it." Flopsy put her hands on her hips, her tiny frame with short white dress framed against her mass amount of blonde hair blowing in the wind. "Flopsy knows you're not just tired! Something happened and we want to know, Luca!"

"Sssh, Lady Flopsy..." Galden frowned at the small girl. "Keep your voice down or we'll all be reprimanded..."

"...Alright..." I budged up on the log to let them sit with me. "You three know I went off to Hoenn to deliver something for her highness, right?"

"Right..." All three replied in unison, taking their positions on the log; Lucy on my right, with Galden on my left and Flopsy on Galden's other side. I nodded and continued, staring up at the stars like Lucy had done a moment ago.

"Well, I went to help Prince Regirock find some flowers for Princess Uxie's wedding... and, well..." I trailed off quietly, looking up at the stars and closing my eyes.

"Luca?"

"...I met the most wonderful person ever..." I felt my heart lift just speaking about her, and I heard Lucy give a soft laugh from next to me, causing me to glance at her. "What's so funny?"

"Aw, my sister's in love," She teased me, nudging my arm and causing me to blaze red-hot with embarrassment. "Ah, s'kay, Luca. I'm only teasing. So, who's the lucky man?"

My heart sank at those words. "Lucy... there's a problem."

"…Eh?" Lucy looked a little confused. "Why? How can there be a problem with falling in love?"

"…"

"Flopsy is confused," Flopsy frowned. "Luca's in love, and really likes them. Do they… not like you back?"

"No, they do… I think… it's just—"

"Are they from a problematic background?" Galden asked, interrupting me. "Like an orphan or something?"

"Well, their sister died recently, but that's not it. The real reason is—"

"Are they too demanding?" Lucy cut me off this time, causing me to glare at her; "I've heard some men can be VERY demanding."

"Oh yeah, and you'd know that with Sala," I spat back, and Lucy flushed a little, rubbing the back of her head.

"Yeah, but I can tame him…"

"I'd be able to tame people like that too, but that's not the problem! Will you all STOP interrupting me?"

There was a brief silence as all four of us became quiet, staring up at the sky in utter silence. I finally took a deep breath and began to talk.

"When in Hoenn today… I was looking for a flower shop to help Prince Regirock get some flowers for Princess Uxie. We couldn't find anywhere, and the prince was starting to get annoyed. Just as we were about to go… a voice came to us… like a beautiful angel in a sandstorm…"

"Luca…" Lucy stared at me. "Is it a weirdo? I mean, looking after a flower shop, a beautiful voice, like an angel? Sounds like a right pansy of a man."

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?" I yelled angrily, the Hoothoot nearby taking off in shock. Even Lucy looked startled at my sudden outburst, taking a shuffle back and frowning a little.

"Hey, alright… I just didn't think you'd fall for that type of man."

"No way! I wouldn't! But that's not the point! The person I've fallen for—"

"It's a girl, isn't it?" Both of us whirled around to face the speaker. Flopsy was leaning forward, watching us quietly and worriedly. Galden was sitting next to her with a surprised look on his face, watching between myself, Lucy and Flopsy with a half-shocked, half-bemused look.

"What? A woman?" Lucy blinked before laughing a bit. "Flopsy, that's ridiculous. Luca's a strong girl and would only choose to go with the strongest of men. Her with a woman is unbelievable, unheard of, it's—"

"True."

"Yeah, it's true! …Wait, WHAT?"

"It's true, Lucy…" My eyes dropped to the grass beneath my feet. "She… it's a girl. Her name's Gabrielle, she's a witch who runs a flower stall in Hoenn… and I think I've fallen in love with her."

There was a long silence as the three of them all stared at me. Lucy had gone slightly slack-jawed, and I could feel both Flopsy and Galden staring at me with the utmost of interest. I gave a sigh, turning my head to look away from them.

"…Do you hate me?"

"What? No!" Lucy had regained her voice and shuffled closer to me, wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug. "Luca, I'd NEVER hate you! What made you say that?"

"I just… never thought I'd end up finding somebody to fall in love with… let alone another woman… especially someone like her…"

"…Listen, Luca…" I glanced over at Galden who had started speaking. "Do you remember my step-brother? The blue-haired man from Johto?"

"…Yeah, what about him?" I asked, leaning back in confusion. Galden's half-brother was a young man who lived in Johto, working for the royal palace. He always referred to himself as Gallade, since that was the name of their clan, but we all referred to him as 'Shiner' because he had the ability to let people's true potential shine through. Why Galden would bring him up now was a mystery.

"Well," Galden continued. "Do you remember he and his wife had an adopted daughter?"

"Oh yeah!" Flopsy cut in happily, "What was her name...? Hero… Hetro… Heaty… Heatstroke…?"

"Heatran, dear," Galden patted the young girl on the head, who nodded. "Well, Luca. Do you know what happened to Heatran?"

"No idea. Enlighten me…" I knew Heatran. I'd met Gallade (or 'Shiner' as we teasingly called him), along with his wife Dusknoir and their adopted daughter Heatran. That had been about two years ago, but I hadn't heard from them since.

"Well…" Galden leaned back a little. "She was a wonderful singer, even though she'd never admit it. You remember – she sung for Princess Uxie's birthday a few months ago."

"Oh yeah, she… wait, that was Heatran?" I jumped. "I had no idea! Her voice was like a siren!"

"Mm-hmm…" Galden nodded. "Remember how happy and formal she was with everyone? How vibrant and happy and sure of herself she was?"

"Yeah…?" 

"Do you remember how she was before? So timid and quiet… but… she changed." Galden folded his arms and turned away. "Luca… do you know what caused it?"

"…No," I tilted my head, remembering how self-doubting and worried Heatran was all those years ago. "So… what happened?"

"She got married."

"…You serious?" Lucy asked, tilting her head. "So that brown-haired man who was with her was her husband?"

"Yup," Galden nodded, leaning back. "Also, a little bit of trivia; that husband happens to be none other than Prince Entei of Johto."

"WHAT?" All three of us stared at Galden, who smiled smugly and stood up, staring out over the horizon.

"That's not the point, though. The point is that love can happen with the most unlikely of people, no matter who they are. It doesn't matter who you are or who you fall in love with; love can help destroy all of those boundaries. Love goes much deeper than just 'I'm a man, you're a lady, let's get married'. Two men can love each other, or two women can love each other. Love can happen to someone as dominant, forward and as loud-mouthed as Lucy—"

"Hey!"

"—or someone who's as quiet and self-doubting as Heatran. What are you going to do? Take this opportunity, or let it slide, Luca?"

I was silent, staring at Galden with a surprised look. Lucy looked like she either wanted to hug Galden or slap him, and Flopsy just looked as happy as ever. Slowly, my mouth opened and I began to speak again.

"…It's illegal in Hoenn to be a witch, and also illegal to be a homosexual. I'm… planning to take her here."

"By boat?"

"Of course."

"Well then," Galden nodded. "I'll ask some friends of mine and Flopsy's to help you out. Meet them at the port tomorrow morning."

"But… I have night-shift…"

"Not any more," Lucy smiled, nudging me. "This is my nightshift anyway – move it, girl, you're in my spot."

"H-hey!" I cried, being shoved out of my seat and onto the ground. "No fair!"

"Now, go to bed!"

"Who are you to tell me what to do?"

"It's not for us, it's for Luca and Gerbil's best interests!" Flopsy smiled happily, poking my side as Galden sighed.

"Her name was Gabrielle, Flopsy. Not 'Gerbil'."

"Whatever! Go get some sleep!"

"…Alright…" I smiled at the three of them. "Thank you… all of you."

"When she comes back with you, let me meet her," Lucy nodded to me as I stood. "I want to see if she's good enough for my sister."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't want her turning you into a sissy," Lucy growled at me, although it was playful. "Be dominant with her and always keep one step ahead."

"What about you and Sala?"

"Oh, we're even. Unlike when it will get to you two, it's quite difficult to judge which one of us is on top in the bedroom."

"Lucy!"

**(05)**

The next morning, I quickly asked for His Majesty's leave for the day to go to Hoenn. The King disagreed, but Queen Dialga said that I had done a good job the day before and that I was allowed a break. Reluctantly, King Palkia let me leave for the day. Heading to our own port town to the West of the land, I found the friends of Galden and Flopsy easily enough. They were right where he said they would be – on the docks, almost out at sea. Once I explained to them what was going on, they understood completely.

"So you wish to get her out of Hoenn?"

"Yes."

"And take all of her belongings here? So you'd need a big boat…"

"Preferably, yes."

The young woman who sat across from me was a slender girl, with long, pink hair and a very curvaceous and beautiful body. Beautiful blue eyes stared at me from a perfect face, and her tight upper-half to her dress gave little to the imagination to a man with a good one. "I'm afraid, even if you are Flopsy and Galden's friend, it will… still cost you a deal to rent the boat from us."

"That's fine – I'd offer all the money I have," I blurted out without realising what I was saying. Was I really that desperate to get Gabrielle over to Sinnoh?

…Yes. Yes, I was.

"That won't be necessary…" The girl giggled softly, standing up and shaking her hair out. "Come with me. I'll show you our biggest boat."

"Thank you, ma'am." I bowed appreciatively and followed her out, walking down the boardwalk towards the lines of boats. As I approached the one at the end, I could see somebody else working on it, scrubbing the decks aboard the ship. The young woman called up in front of me, making me slow to admire the ship.

"Dear, are you done with that? We need the ship ready to transport this young lady to Hoenn!"

By 'dear', I guessed she meant a husband of some sorts. So it came as a severe shock to me when a young woman's voice came back to greet us.

"Yup, I'm done!" There was a silhouette against the sky before something landed gracefully in front of us. Standing up, the new person was a tall girl with green hair and red-rimmed spectacles which she took off and rubbed against her cloth top gently before replacing them. "Honestly, I was hoping the three of us could go for a ride in it together for some private time… but if it's being used…"

"We can use another boat, Flipsy," the girl next to me replied gently, reaching up and stroking her face (it only now occurred to me why Galden was so intent I met these girls) and gave a sweet smile towards me. "This young lady wishes to retrieve a friend from Hoenn, and she needs to take luggage. Therefore, she needs the biggest ship we have."

"…Very well…" Flipsy folded her arms and glanced at me. "I suppose you're Lucy, Galden and Flopsy's friend, right?"

"Yeah," I gave a nod as the girl next to me quickly went to inspect the boat. "I'm Lucy's sister."

"I see," Flipsy nodded and walked past me, heading back inside. "There is a matter of paying…"

"I've already paid to your pink-haired friend," I stated flatly, rolling my eyes. "Look, the sooner I go, the better."

"Alright, alright, but listen…" Flipsy looked around at me, shrugging. "I better warn you that if you damage the boat in any way, you are reliable for any costs, alright?"

"Fine with me."

"Also, we will not be entitled to any damage caused by tidal waves, whirlpools, pirates, bandits, accidental firing, fire, explosions, drowning, capsizing, illnesses or giant sea monsters."

"Giant… sea monsters?" I blinked a few times. "ARE there any giant sea monsters?"

"No, not around here. But it's a necessary precaution after we got in trouble for one attacking a boat we rented out a while ago."

"Oh."

"I'm done!" The pink-haired girl had returned, looking around. "Flipsy, where's Volcan?"

"Volcan? Probably still asleep—"

"I heard that." The three of us turned to find a third girl with long, blue, waist length hair and a blue dress that frilled slightly at the collar, looking almost like fins. "I've been awake and making breakfast this whole time, you two."

"Oh, you sweetheart!" The pink haired girl dashed over and promptly kissed the blue-haired girl on the cheek, causing the girl to turn a shade of pink that matched the colour of her girlfriend's hair. "Thank you so much!"

"Wait…" I voiced slowly, catching their attention. "I thought you were with… this Flipsy lady?"

"Yup, I am!"

"But… you just kissed Volcan? I'm confused…"

"A relationship can work with more than just two people…" Volcan giggled, reaching over and hugging the green-haired girl close to them, who looked highly embarrassed. "We're the VSF – The Versatile Ship Foundation – and we're the three owners and lovers; Volcan, Sasha and Flipsy."

"…I'm still totally lost."

"Just roll with it. So anyway, you wanted a boat?"

"Oh!" My mind quickly snapped back to reality. "Uh, yeah! I'd like a boat to travel to Hoenn!"

"Of course, it's all ready," Sasha smiled at me. "Just make sure to have it back to us by sundown."

"Sure, of course. Thank you." I turned and headed out, hearing Flipsy call after me.

"Give our love to Galden and Flopsy when you next see them!"

"I will, sure!"

"And beware of any sea-monsters!"

"Flipsy…" The other two girls slapped their hands against their faces as the green-hared girl began to laugh loudly.

**(06)**

As soon as I got to Hoenn, I jumped off the boat and sprinted as fast as I could to the northern gate. Quickly saying a good day to Prince Regirock and his siblings (who looked at me in a very confused manner), I borrowed a horse and carriage to take me as fast as it could to Mauvillus. Getting there in under an hour, I leapt off and quickly leaving the carriage with the guard, ran into town. Surprisingly, it was emptier than the previous day and there were certainly less stalls open. I went to the centre of the square and memorised the route we'd taken to get to her shop, remembering how elegant she had looked when guiding us there. Those thoughts were still there as I approached the door to her shop, knocking softly. A small pause, but then…

"J-just a minute!"

There was scrabbling from inside followed by the sound of the door unlocking and Gabrielle's beautiful voice continuing as she opened the door.

"I'm sorry, we're not open yet—oh! Luca!" Her eyes instantly lit up and she threw her arms around me, smiling happily. "I'm so glad you're here!"

"Me too," I smiled back. "You ready to go?"

"Wh-what? Now?" Gabrielle blinked. "I thought… it'd be later than this…"

"Well… we can go later if you want…" I muttered, fiddling with a lock of my hair. Gabrielle giggled and patted my shoulder, making me look at her quizzically.

"You're cute when you do that…"

I blushed madly, turning my face away from her to hide it. "A…are you ready?"

"Yes, I am…" She smiled, pulling a small sack onto her back and smiling. I gave her a confused look, and at my expression, she giggled even more, making my heart flutter. "It's minimizing magic, "Minimize". It let's me shrink my items into miniscule size for easy carrying."

"Oh…" I muttered bluntly. "Well, er… I kinda… brought a big boat… I didn't know you'd do that… It cost a lot too…"

Gabrielle's eyes widened. "L-Luca, you didn't have to do that! H-here, let me…" She reached into her pocket for some money, but I grabbed her hand before it could enter it. "Ah!"

"No." I shook my head. "It's okay, Gabrielle, you don't have to pay. I don't want you wasting your money on me."

"B-but…"

"No."

Gabrielle gave a gentle smile, lowering her head. "…Thanks Luca. I don't have much anyway…" Her head perked back up and she smiled at me. "…Should we go?"

"…Y-yeah, let's…" I found myself staring back into her eyes again, transfixed by their ruby-red gaze. She smiled at me sweetly, placing her hand on the side of my face and making it burn with a bright red heat. "U-uh…"

"Luca…?"

"…Y-yeah, let's go." I nodded, quickly walking out of the door and closing it behind Gabrielle, letting her lock it. The two of us began to walk together in silence, heading towards the town's gate. My mind was too focused on her to think of much conversation anyway. As we reached the gate, I paid our fee and took the horse and carriage back to Slateport, still in silence. Nearing Slateport, however, the silence was broken.

"…Hey, Luca."

"Hm?" I turned to face Gabrielle, who had tilted her head to the side questioningly. "What is it?"

"…I have a question…"

"Go ahead."

"Well…" Gabrielle slowly tilted her head a little, looking into my eyes. "…Do you like me?"

"Wh-what?" I asked, jumping in alarm. "G-Gabrielle, of course I like you. You're a great friend and—"

"But I've only known you for two days," Gabrielle cut me off suddenly, causing me to freeze. "Is this… simply because you feel sorry for me?"

"I—"

"Or is it… something else?" She blinked in confusion, and gave a cute-looking face. "Luca?"

"I… I-I…" I stammered, staring at her. How was I supposed to get out of this one? I can't just tell her _'__it__'__s because I think I__'__ve fallen in love with you__'_.

…Can I?

"W-well, you see…" I stammered, slowly sitting up to face her. "I… w-well, the thing is… I mean… you… you're…"

Gabrielle tilted her head to the other side in puzzled silence, and at that moment, the sun flickered through the window behind me, illuminating Gabrielle's face. The pale face, the shimmering green hair with a flower in it, the deep ruby eyes… the sublime figure…

"It's… because you're…" I took a deep breath and finally mouthed a word out.

"…Beautiful."

Gabrielle's eyes widened as she gave a small gasp, placing her delicate fingers to her lips, her face going a deep scarlet. "Wh-what? L-Luca!"

My hands quickly covered my mouth in embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry… that slipped out… wh-what I meant was that you're a sweet, beautiful woman with a kind heart, and I can't let you live in a place like that."

Gabrielle loosened up and smiled a little. "That's sweet… I see. Thank you, Luca."

I nodded as the carriage drew to a halt and we exited. Leaving the carriage by the gate, I quickly hurried to the pier with Gabrielle right behind me. We both stopped to say hello to the Regi siblings who were still helping repair the town, and Gabrielle quickly introduced herself.

"Hey, you're the girl from the flower shop, right?" Prince Regirock nodded at her, and Gabrielle smiled. "Well why are you going on a boat? You moving?"

"Sadly, yes…" Gabrielle nodded. "I'll be sorry to say goodbye to this place, but… it's for the better…"

"Why?"

Both Gabrielle and I looked at each other before I quickly answered for her. "…It's a very long story, and we really don't have time. Say, are you coming back too, Prince Regirock? To see Princess Uxie?"

"No, I've gotta stay here for a bit. Too much rebuilding…" Prince Regirock nodded, and then out of earshot, muttered to me; "I also want to make sure my sisters are okay. Regice and Registeel are meeting a famous musician by the name of Phione and his older brother Manaphy later. The four of them get on incredibly well together and I think there could be something going on…"

"And Gigas?"

"Ah, Gigas is older than me – she can fend for herself." Regirock shrugged, folding his arms. "She was the one who gave me the courage to tell Princess Uxie how I felt."

"Oh… I see…" I nodded, and Gabrielle gave a light smile, casting her eyes over the three sisters at the other side of the road.

"Anyway, don't you have a boat to get?" This snapped the pair of us out of our trance and we both nodded quickly. "Then, you should go. I'm sorry for keeping you."

"It's fine. Thanks for yesterday, Prince Regirock."

Regirock nodded, folding his arms. "I guess I—wait, shouldn't it be me thanking you for yesterday?"

"W-well…" I blushed a little; "…I have something to thank you for, too."

"Which is…?"

I gave a small smirk as both of them looked at me curiously. "…You'll find out in due time, I promise."

After bidding Regirock farewell, the pair of us walked to the docks and boarded the boat. Gabrielle, seeing how large it was, once again persisted in paying for some of the cost (which I immediately shot down with my previous rejection) and I quickly un-ravelled the rope tying us to the dock, beginning to set sail back to Sinnoh.

Back on the shore, Regirock watched us go until we were in the distance, just a small speck on the horizon. He smiled, shaking his head.

It wouldn't be long now… until he'd be taking a similar direction in a boat of his own, and never turning back. Just like Gabrielle. He could see the look in the girl's eyes and knew the two wouldn't meet again until he moved to Sinnoh. Giving a sigh as his mind drifted to the beautiful Princess Uxie, he turned and began to head back into town. He would inform his father, King Groudon, of it tonight.

"My Lord!" An urgent shout caught his attention, and he turned to face a new man running towards him. This new man was a soldier – a veteran one at that, as well as one of the town archer guards. The man drew close, panting and taking off his leather cap, letting his spiky blue hair out, and the two, longer spikes on either side of his head show, his sharp, magenta eyes locking onto the Prince. Prince Regirock nodded, turning his head.

"Permission to speak, Captain. What's the matter?"

"My Lord, I have grave news," the archer bowed deeply. "I'm afraid that pirates have been spotted again near the Hoenn coast!"

"Again?" Prince Regirock took a step back, but then composed himself. "Alright! Get the guards to their positions! And someone warn Mother and Father!"

"Princess Regice has already headed off," The archer nodded. "Sir, I'm worried – what if they head to the castle? My sister's there! My wife also lives in Mauvillus! If anything happened to either of them, I—"

"Latios, calm down!" Regirock shook him. "I'm sure Sir Rayquaza will take care of her! He'd lay his life on the line for Latias and you know that! Just like you would! And Princess Articuno will know what to do if pirates come, she'll head to the castle like everyone else! Don't worry, they'll be fine, just focus on the job at hand!"

"…Latias, sister… Articuno, my love…" Latios frowned, thinking about his sister, the red hair and short height against Ray's massive build, and remembering how caring he was to his sister. He then thought about the beautiful brown eyes and long, icy-blue, down-like hair of his wife, the stunning Princess Articuno and how sharp she was... he could trust her to know what to do.

"…Alright… I'll stay here."

"Good. Where were the pirates last seen?"

"Just north of here." Latios gestured back up the shoreline to the north. "They were heading south, just off of the horizon."

"W-wait, what?" Prince Regirock stood up abruptly. "But Lady Luca and Miss Gabrielle just left on a boat heading back to Sinnoh! They're out there now!"

"…Then praise be to Arceus that they're alright…" Latios frowned. "Two women… who knows what those pirates could do to them…"

**(07)**

_Things are starting to get interesting now, huh? Pirates! Anyway, I hope you liked this part and I hope you continue reading. The next part is the final part and the conclusion to this. I hope you stay tuned!_

_Remember to review!  
_  
**+Cam/Regii, and his proof-reading love, Moonlit Assassin+**


	3. Chapter 3

_The final part. Well, I hope you__'__ve enjoyed reading as much as I have writing! This part is probably the most epic so far, and it draws everything to a close. Who knows, after this, I may do something again in this sort of era with my love, MA. _**(Star: Definitely.)**_ Remember to review at the end of this, and now read on!_

_Disclaimer:__ Chapter one._

**Fight for my Rose (Part III)**

I sighed, staring at the wooden planks of the deck as the ship swayed from side-to-side, its rocking movements almost soothing. Gabrielle had fallen asleep after having woken up early, and was now resting in a lower cabin. I had removed my helmet and chest-plate, letting me feel some of the ocean air on my skin, my long blue hair blowing in the ocean breeze.

It was really something. In the past two days I had, what appeared to be, fallen in love with a complete stranger, found out she was a homosexual and offered to take her back with me. Things had gone from normal to completely bizarre within the course of between thirty-six to forty-eight hours.

Slowly, I stretched my arms out, raising them above my head and yawning. As I stood up and walked to the edge of the boat, the door opened behind me and Gabrielle walked out. I heard her stop a few feet away from me, and she giggled softly.

"You look nice, Luca. I don't think I've ever seen you without your armour on."

"Heh…" I kept my arms above my head and deliberately pushed my bosom forward as I turned to her. "Really? I thought I'd taken it off and let you seen it before…"

Gabrielle turned bright pink at my stature, her eyes on my loose cloth top. "U-um… L-Luca, I… um, you…"

I smirked, dropping my arms and walking over to her. "Hey, don't worry. Just teasing you."

Gabrielle flushed and pouted, poking my arm and giggling. "Luca, that's not fair! You know it isn't!"

"I know, I know…" I smiled, turning back and looking back at the sun. "But it's amusing to tease you, sweetie. You're so cute when you're blushing."

Gabrielle giggled, sliding her arm up and around my neck and pulling me closer to her, wrapping her other arm around me. "Luca, I can't thank you enough for all of this. You've done so much for me… and I don't really know why."

"Well, I…" I turned, looking straight at her. Our eyes connected again, and I smiled, leaning in slightly, the same scene from yesterday playing in my head. Gabrielle blushed, but leaned closer as well, anticipating what I was about to do. Her eyes half closed and drifted up slightly… before suddenly snapping open as she took a step back in alarm.

"L-Luca!"

I blinked a little, turning around to see where she was looking. Another boat was sailing not too far away, its black sails billowing in the wind and the high bow making it obvious as to what kind of people would be sailing on it.

"Gabrielle, get back!" I growled, hurrying to my armour. I knew it'd be too risky to get Gabrielle involved if anything got nasty, so I quickly slipped my arm around hers, pulling her back with me and grabbing my sword from its sheath, turning to face the ship again that was now alongside us. Gabrielle looked perplexed, but now worried at the look of my sword in plain view.

"L-Luca, what the-?"

"Pirates…"

The two boats bumped together, and a rope was thrown up, a hook on the end catching around the edge of the boat, becoming taught suddenly like someone was climbing up it. I gritted my teeth and held onto my sword tightly as a hand appeared over the edge of the boat, followed by another, and finally a person.

The young man that climbed over the side wasn't the normal-looking pirate we got. Usually, the ones we captured in Sinnoh were roughnecks with shaggy manes of hair and gruff voices. However, this young man was tall, with a very well-built figure, with a bare chest and muscular arms that looked like they'd done a lot of rowing and had been tanned by the sun. His hair was spiky and blonde, going down to his shoulders and spiking out a bit at the sides, most of it covered by a large, wide-rimmed hat. His torn pants and rope-belt were the only other things about him that could prove that he had been at sea for some time. He also had the wild, untamed look in his eye that I saw with most of the pirates we took in, but something there also told me a bit of life was still in him, meaning he hadn't been a pirate for long.

The man looked around, surveying our ship. He took a look at myself and Gabrielle before looking back over the edge of the boat and down to his own. "Oi, Rida!"

Rida? Was this some type of… pirate lingo?

"A-yup, Choppy?" A female voice called up, sounding very young and heavily accented. The pirate, who I could only now assume was called 'Choppy', turned his head back to us, taking another look around before looking back down the rope.

"Come up 'ere, will you?"

A moment later, the rope became taught, before a second figure climbed over the side. This second figure was a girl and looked nothing like the part of a pirate, her long, shimmering blue hair going down to her waist, almost like a shimmering wall of blue flames and her brown eyes shone in bemused puzzlement at myself and Gabrielle. She crossed her arms, her very short dress, knee-high boots and a top barely big enough to cover her very ample chest left very little to the imagination.

"Yah wayuntahd meh, sayuh?"

"Yes," Choppy nodded. "Take a look at this ship. What is it?"

"A mayunchant shehp, Choppy."

"No, it isn't!" Choppy snapped. "Do you see any GOODS on it? Any TREASURE? Why'd you set us here?"

"A-Ah'm sahrry!" Rida bowed deeply, her hair falling over her face. "Ah uhnly did whayut y'tahld meh t'duh! Ah uhnly f-fulluhd awduhs!"

"Then next time, DON'T FOLLOW MY ORDERS!"

"Y-yus Cap'n… a-ah mayun nuh Cap'n… ah mayun…" Rida paused slightly before looking at Choppy in utmost confusion. "…Wut?"

"Oh, forget it!" Choppy snarled, shaking his head and looking back to the pair of us still looking at him bewildered. "Well, we found two lovely wenches anyway. We'll just take them instead."

"Excuse ME," I shot back angrily. "But I am NOT a wench! And neither is she!"

"Y'right," Choppy grinned, folding his arms. "And I'm supposed to just leave, right?"

"I'd prefer that, yes. You're trespassing, now the pair of you…" I picked up my sword and swung it at the two intruders. "Leave this boat before I MAKE you leave!"

"Tch… pretty big talk from a wench…" Choppy grinned, drawing his own blade and pointing it at me. "I doubt you're good with that sword, woman. I've met many with your determination with a sword, but no skill."

"Then you've obviously never met me…" I grinned, stepping forward. "I'm Luca, a member of the Sinnoh Royal Guard for King Palkia and Queen Dialga, and a full-fledged, high-ranking Long-Swordsman!"

"…Sorry, are you done?" Choppy yawned loudly, making me boil with anger. "Well, good. You're still a wench to me. Now come quietly before I make you come… painfully."

"Try me."

Choppy shrugged and spun his cutlass in his hand, catching it again and running at me. Predictable.

I grabbed my sword and swung it, blocking his attack and making our weapons collide. It was only now that I remembered I didn't have my armour on. A powerful hit from him could really screw me over. I growled and swung my sword back around at him, forcing him to back up and stagger, getting his footing back. I took a charge, swinging low to hit his legs and cripple him. THAT was when I got the biggest shock.

Choppy's feet left the floor in front of me as my blade sliced exactly where his toes had been. My eyes widened and I gave a sharp cry as I felt a powerful heel slam into the top of my head, sending me sprawling backwards. Gritting my teeth with anger, I stood back up and took my sword back into my hand, realising now that I wasn't just fighting for myself.

I was fighting for Gabrielle, too.

**(08)**

"Lucy!"

The older woman looked up as Flopsy ran forward in a frantic panic, her expression one of great worry and fear. Sala, who was standing with her, lowered his gaze to the short girl and growled angrily. "You better have a DAMN good reason to interrupt our spar!"

"Lucy, it's an emergemenency!" Flopsy babbled, bouncing on her heels with what was a mixture of energy and horror. "Guards said there were pirates spotted in the waters just west of here and that a ship joined to another ship are sailing towards us and one looks like a pirate ship that ma—"

"SLOW DOWN!" Lucy yelled, causing Flopsy to squeal and back down. "Now say it slower. Pirates are where?"

"T-to the west of the port!" Flopsy whimpered, slowly getting her momentum back up. "Galden's there now! He says that a ship with black sails just attached itself to a ship with white sails and now four people are on board, two of them are sword-fighting!"

"Sword fighting?" Sala grunted, then slowly realisation dawned on him. "Oh, right. So someone on the bigger ship is fending off the pirates. What's the big fuss?"

"But—"

"Flopsy, let the sea-guard take care of it…" Lucy frowned, turning back to face Sala. "Now where were we, love? I believe I was kicking your ass?"

"I highly doubt—OOMPH!" Sala buckled as the flat side of Lucy's two-handed sword slammed the side of his helmeted head, knocking him to the floor. "That was uncalled for, soldier!"

"Ah, knock it off…" Lucy grinned playfully. "Anyway, what's all this about Flopsy? So pirates are on a ship and are fighting someone. Big deal, let the guards sort it out."

"B-but what if it's Luca?"

Silence fell between the three of them as Lucy began to pale considerably, her eyes widening at what could be happening to Luca at this very moment. Sala stood up slowly, taking off his helmet and letting his dark blue hair part either side of his head.

"I'm sure Luca's okay."

"…I gotta go…" Lucy suddenly grabbed her bastard sword from its sheath, dragging it behind her as she began to dash towards the port with Flopsy on her tail. Sala frowned, turning and looking back at the barracks, before nodding, grabbing his own sword and running after the duo.

**(09)**

Back on the boat, things were still even between me and Choppy. Gabrielle had backed up behind me and was a few feet back, giving me confidence not just by her presence, but also encouraging words that made my body grow warm and filled me with energy. Both of us were wearing down considerably, running out of breath badly, despite neither of us having taken a single scratch from each others blades. I knew I had the advantage in skill and weaponry, but his dodging and speed were amazing. Rida, the young pirate girl, was looking on with a now rather bored expression.

"Choppy, cahn weh guh nayuh?"

"No!" Choppy growled, getting back to his feet after having been knocked to the floor. "We're… not leaving… until I get the girls!"

"…I won't let you!" I retorted, shakily grabbing my sword again. "…I won't let you take Gabrielle!"

"…Who said anything about her?" Choppy asked curiously, lowering his blade ever so slightly, although now into a parrying position, so I held my attacks. "Y'love her or something?"

"…" I remained silent, staring at him, but I felt my face go a deep shade of red. I could feel all three of them watching me, and I slowly stood up straight, looking back at Gabrielle and then back towards Choppy silently.

"Wayull?" Rida questioned curiously. I could tell that the girl wasn't remotely interested in getting us as 'wenches', and even glanced at Choppy like she detested the idea. But this time, she looked generally interested.

"…Yes." I nodded softly, grabbing my blade again. "…I-I love her… and I'd do anything to protect her."

There was a brief silence as the group stared at me, stunned. "And… that's why…" I looked back up at Choppy, drawing my blade and holding it back in a fighting pose.

"…I won't let you harm her!"

"Heh… a pair of homosexual wenches? That's new…" Choppy grinned before picking his blade back up. "…But you know? I'm fine with that. If you come with me, I won't hurt either of you."

"As if!" I cried, bringing my sword up and running at him. Choppy ducked, his blade swinging around and missing my face by centimetres. I quickly spun my sword into a guarding position and felt something hit it, although it didn't make a clang like a sword swing. Looking up, I noticed Choppy was now gone from my sight.

"Wh-what the…?"

"I said…" My ears perked up as I spun around. As I did, I heard a scream, and my heart turned to ice at the sight of what was happening.

"…If you come with me, I won't hurt her."

I gulped. Choppy must have jumped over me and gotten behind me, and now he had Gabrielle in a headlock with his cutlass to her throat. Gabrielle was looking at me with a hurt gaze, pain and fear evident in her eyes as she whimpered in panic. I could see Sinnoh coming closer, and my heart dropped. So close… and now this?

"G-Gabrielle…"

"L-Luca, I…" Gabrielle whispered shakily, but squeaked as the cutlass was placed to her neck. "N-no!"

"One wrong move…" Choppy grinned, fingering the cutlass delicately. "And I'll slice. It's your choice. Either come with me together… or watch her die and come with me alone."

"…" I was cornered. I had tried to protect her, tried to get her to a safe place… and I had failed, all because of two stupid pirates and dirty tricks. I felt ashamed of myself, and lowered my head, dropping my blade to the floor and sinking down to my knees, hearing a gasp from Gabrielle.

"L-Luca, no!"

"I… don't hurt her…" I muttered, my fingers loosening around my arms. "J-just… don't hurt her…"

"L-Luca…" Gabrielle stared at me, shocked. Choppy started to laugh, lowering the blade from Gabrielle's neck and grinning at me darkly. I turned my head slightly and saw a very interesting sight.

Rida, who had remained silent all this time, was looking at Choppy and the pair of us. She looked at Choppy with a look that reminded me of the look I see in Gabrielle's eyes, but with us, she looked at us in distaste and… almost fury. It was almost like, unlike Choppy, she didn't want us to come with them. Her eyes lingered on Choppy again, and I suddenly realised why.

She didn't want us intruding on the two of them.

"…Well then," Choppy drew the blade away from Gabrielle, gesturing to the ropes that they had boarded from. "Head down onto our ship, and DON'T…" His blade flicked back to Gabrielle's neck, making her scream. "…Try anything funny. You'll know what'll happen."

I felt my stomach leave me as I stood up, staring blankly at them. I couldn't see straight from the sudden tears filling my eyes, but I thought I could see something behind them… something silver.

"…Hey Choppy," Rida asked from a few feet away, making us look at her. "Whah are y'gahttin' dese gahls? D'uhnleh guhnna jayust cahse truhbbuhl…"

"Rida, you forget…" Choppy grinned, leaning back a little and smirking at her. "I'm a pirate. Pirates need pirate girls to please themselves, right?"

"B-baht…"

"Are you ARGUING, Rida?"

"N-nuh!" Rida shook her head frantically, looking suddenly worried. "I-I'd nehvah ahgayuh agayunsht yuh!"

"As I thought…" Choppy grinned. "Now make sure the ropes are secure so we can get down!"

Rida turned and looked at the pair of us in disgust before testing the ropes to make sure they were secure. Choppy seemed relaxed now that he had us at knife-point and folded an arm around Gabrielle, who shifted uncomfortably.

"I'll let you two have your little relationship, but remember that I'm in charge."

"Hey you!" A voice suddenly cut the silence like a knife, making us all jump. It was a voice I recognised too, and my heart lifted as soon as I heard it. "Get your hands off of them!"

"Wha-?"

Choppy had no time to move as something charged at him from the side. The man put up his cutlass to protect himself from the strike, but cried out as he was thrown back and his cutlass sent hurtling into the air from an almighty swing of the opposing weapon.

"Wh-what the…?" Choppy stepped back, looking at the new opponent – fully clad in Sinnoh Royal armour, their face hidden behind the helmet and an enormous bastard sword in their right hand, aimed at Choppy's head. "Wh-wh-who are you?"

"Your demise." Was the simple reply as the sword was swung around, making Choppy literally throw himself backwards to avoid being decapitated on the spot. Gabrielle and Rida screamed out loud as the newcomer advanced, picking up my own sword, throwing it back towards me. I caught it and approached too, smiling at the newcomer.

"Lucy!"

Behind the helmet, Lucy nodded and glanced behind me. Turning, I ended up facing Galden and General Sala climbing ropes from their own boat to get onto the ship. My heart flew even higher as I saw Gabrielle moving further away from Choppy, and finally breaking into a run, throwing her arms around me and bursting into tears.

"L-Luca, I—"

"Sssh…" I stroked her hair gently, kissing her cheek. "It's okay… really… it's alright. My sister's here, she'll sort this guy out… just relax, calm down…"

A few feet away, Lucy had removed her helmet and was walking towards Choppy, swinging her bastard sword in front of her, making the young man repeatedly back up until he hit the mast. Lucy walked over and picked him up by the neck, holding him flat against the mast and lifting her blade to his neck. "So you're a pirate? Doesn't look like a tough one. I can cleave you with a single swing."

"I-I…" Choppy gritted his teeth, struggling against Lucy's grip as he gasped for breath, "L-let go of me…!"

"No!" Lucy tightened her grip, making Choppy curse and cough. "You attacked my sister and her lover. Now I'm mad, and you don't like me when I'm mad!"

"Ugh… I… can't… breathe…"

"L-layut hahm guh!" Lucy glanced to the side as Rida literally threw herself at her, making my sister back up in more surprise than pain, causing her to drop Choppy. The blonde-haired man slid to the floor, crumpling into a heap and clutching his neck, gasping for breath.

"Ugh…"

"C-Choppy!" Rida ran over and hugged him tightly, not letting him go. As Lucy approached them, Rida stood up and stood in front of Choppy protectively, taking a shaky but determined fighting stance.

"Out of my way."

"Nuh! G-gayut aweh frahm hayum!" Rida cried angrily, giving a slight gulp of fear as she looked at Lucy's sword. Lucy prepared to draw it back, but someone quickly grabbed her hand to stop her from swinging the blade. Surprised, Lucy turned to meet Gabrielle's worried expression.

"Let go."

"N-no! No more violence, please!" Gabrielle's eyes watered as she looked at Lucy with a begging tone in her voice, her eyes watering. Lucy frowned, then remembering what predicament Gabrielle had just been in, lowered her blade, but into a parrying position to strike if Choppy tried anything.

"…Why did you attack us?" I asked, taking a step forward and looking at the two. "Answer us."

Choppy looked up. With myself and Lucy both with our weapons in front of him, and Sala on his left and Galden on his right, he didn't have much choice as to what to do. He sighed and lowered his head, his hat falling off of his head.

"…I did it because I want to prove something."

"Prove what? That you're an outlaw?" Sala grunted, unsheathing his sword. "The punishment for attacking a Royal Guard is imprisonment, maybe even execution."

"N-nuh!" Rida wrapped her arms around Choppy, who looked quite startled at this motion. "L-layuv mah Choppy alayun!"

"Rida…" Choppy breathed, getting his voice back and pushing her off gently. "Even we have to lose sometimes… I guess… my reign as a pirate is at an end…"

"Choppy…" Galden mused, making us glance at him. "…Your name's familiar. Why do I feel like we've met before?"

"Yeah…" Sala suddenly added, causing Lucy, Gabrielle and myself to raise our eyebrows. "A few years ago… in Johto. We were training there. Your brother had just been promoted to a knight…"

"Brother IN LAW…" Choppy spat, getting to his feet. "And I'd rather we drop the subject."

"But… then that means… why did you become a pirate if you have a family back home?" Gabrielle asked quietly, looking puzzled. Choppy didn't reply, and Gabrielle walked forward to him, smiling sweetly. "Choppy sir, please answer me."

"Be careful, Gabrielle…" I took a step forward too, holding my blade up. Her hand rested on mine gently, and I could feel myself suddenly relax just at her touch. My anger fading a little, I lowered my arm as my face burned a slight crimson. Even at a moment like this, she could still calm me down… such a kind heart… and trying to help a man who had just tried to kill her… such a strange girl…

…My strange girl.

"I… well, I…" Choppy took a deep breath before continuing. "…ten years ago, my sister adopted a troubled kid she found. She made me promise to help her take care of him, so I adopted him as my nephew. Then my sister got married to a soldier in Johto and they had a girl. But they couldn't move into the castle with my nephew, because…of his problems."

"C-Choppy…" Rida lowered her head. "I… th-thawght y'sayud yuhd nayuvah rahpayut dis…"

"I don't have a choice!" Choppy spat back, making Rida and Gabrielle both flinch. "…My nephew suffers from nightmares and a bad childhood and that makes him detest everything and everyone he doesn't trust… and turn violent. Aquila made me promise to take care of him and I intend to keep that promise! So for us to be accepted in the castle, I've been working at getting stronger to handle Algol and join the ranks of the knights of Johto."

"By the life of a pirate?" I asked, realisation dawning on me. "That's… a pretty risky route to take. But then why did you need us?"

"As I said… a pirate's gotta have his ladies…" Choppy grunted, getting unsteadily upright and holding onto Rida for support. "It… gets pretty lonely at sea for days on end…"

"…I can see that…" Galden nodded, lowering his sword. "So what now, Captain Sala?"

"…" Sala frowned, turning his head and looking out at the sea. There was a few moments silence as we all watched him. Lucy still had her sword pointed at Choppy, as if predicting he'd make a run for it at any moment. I had my sword ready, but not to stab them since Gabrielle's fingers were still intertwined with my own. Galden looked on in silent puzzlement as General Sala finally turned back around.

"…Tell you what," Sala replied gruffly. "Just this once… I'll let you go."

"Wha—SALA?" Lucy looked shocked, "You'd let him go after he tried to kill my sister?"

"HOWEVER…" Sala cut Lucy off, causing her to fall silent. "…I want you to go back to Johto."

"What…?" Choppy looked startled. "Wh-why?"

"Because I want you to see your family again. And I warn you, I will know if you have or not."

"How…?"

"I happen to be good friends with a merchant there. His name's Sirius, and he and his wife Procyon often go to Johto. I want you to be in Johto within four days, since that is when they'll be there. If you don't turn up to see your family…" Sala's voice darkened, and a side of Sala shone through that made his allies cower, and his enemies flee.

"…I will cut you down with my own blade. Not even a pirate would neglect a family like you did."

Choppy stared at him, but realising that he was outmatched, sighed and nodded. "…Fine."

"Good," Sala nodded, lowering his blade. "Now get out of my sight, the pair of you."

"See you soon!" Gabrielle smiled at Rida, who looked at her in quiet puzzlement, as did the rest of us. "I hope you return home safely, Mr. Choppy."

"…Whatever…" Choppy turned and walked to the ropes, "C'mon Rida… let's just go."

"Choppy…" Rida nodded as she watched Choppy go down the rope. She gave a soft sigh, and muttered something under her breath which made it clear exactly why she didn't want me or Gabrielle to come with them.

"I'd fulluh y'ayunehwhayuh… ayvuhn bayuck hahme…"

From their ship came a loud grunt and a shout of, "...I hate the sea. I hate planks. I hate sails, and I HAAAAAAAAAATE PIRATES."

As the two left, I suddenly felt very aware of several pairs of eyes on me. Gulping a little, I turned only to face General Sala, Lucy, Galden, and somehow Flopsy, who had made her way on board without me even noticing.

"Uh… yes?"

"So…" Lucy tilted her head, looking at Gabrielle now. "This is Gabrielle. The famous young lady who took my sister's heart, huh…"

"U-um…" Gabrielle flushed, putting her hand to her mouth in a nervous fashion. "Y-yes…?"

"Hmmm…" Lucy began to walk around her, taking in details. "Not much of a fighter… tall, but not dominatingly… slender…"

I scowled, watching Lucy as she paraded around Gabrielle, taking in her aspects. I could see how nervous Gabrielle was, and I reached over, grabbing her hand and pulling her to me. "Lucy, leave her alone."

"Hey, just checkin' her out…" Lucy shrugged. "So she's your woman?"

"…Yes, if she wants to be…" I muttered, feeling Gabrielle's fingers tighten around my hand and Lucy spluttered indignantly.

"What, you mean you haven't asked her? Luca, what kind of dominant woman ARE you?"

"Lucy, I'm not—"

"Now you'll have to ask her with all of us watching!"

"I…" I sighed, realising she was right. Turning slowly, I faced Gabrielle, my face deepening in colour; "Well, um, Gabrielle… now that you know… would you like to… um, well… you know…" my fingers fiddled with my shirt as I fumbled my words; "What I mean to say is—"

"I would."

I blinked in confusion, looking up at her; "Huh?"

"I would love to be with you…" Gabrielle nodded, smiling; "I've never met such a caring woman… ever. I knew there was something there when we first met, and I don't think it was just coincidence that we met and, well…" Her face deepened in colour as she lowered her head gently.

"…You're the only person… who's ever done anything like this for me… thank you and…" Her arms wrapped around my neck gently, pulling me closer to her.

"…I love you."

"Gabrielle…" I breathed, as my mind blanked and everything else left me completely. Nothing mattered anymore – the pirates, the King, Hoenn… nothing… except her.

"…I love you too."

'_Third time__'__s the charm…__'_ I thought, leaning up. This time, nothing would stop us, nothing could spoil it and nobody would get in our way. I closed my eyes, and to my utmost shock and relief, felt delicately soft lips touch my own firmly, pressing against mine. Every trouble in the world left me at that moment as we simply shared it with each other. Nothing at all mattered, and nothing at all will ever again, not in a milli—

"OH MY ARCEUS, THAT'S SO SWEET!" I broke away from Gabrielle and turned to Flopsy with an irritated look as everyone else sighed in exasperation. "Luca and Gerbil are in love!"

"GABRIELLE," I corrected her firmly and a little angrily. "Flopsy, you just interrupted our mome—"

"It's okay…" Gabrielle smiled, wrapping her arms around me gently and causing my rage to vanish instantly. "She's only saying the truth…"

"…For once, Flopsy, she's right…" Lucy nodded, turning her head to look at the young girl. "But let them have some private time later. Right now, we need to get you both on solid ground."

"Thanks, Lucy…" I muttered, looking over the bow of the ship at the upcoming Sinnoh horizon. Gabrielle stood next to me, her arm around my shoulder. Lucy stood to our right with General Sala, his arm linked with hers. To our left was Galden, who had his arms wrapped around Flopsy's neck gently.

"…Sinnoh." I said suddenly, catching their attention. "We're here."

"The end of your journey…" Sala muttered quietly, his fingers interlocking with Lucy's. "So what now?"

"I don't know…" I muttered, looking at Gabrielle. "But I do know one thing."

"What's that?"

I turned my head, looking back out, my fingers interlocking with Gabrielle's softly. "I do know that I'll be with Gabrielle for a long time to come. No matter what anyone says, that will never change… and as to what happens next…?" I glanced up at Gabrielle, who gave a soft smile and leaned closer, pecking my cheek gently.

"Every end is a new beginning… and this beginning involves the both of us… right until the end."

**(10)**

_WHEW, DONE. THANK ARCEUS._

_Once again, I__'__d like to thank my love, Moonlit Assassin, for giving me motivation and the inspiration to do this. Once again, remember this whole thing is GIJINKA, which means human-styled Pokemon. This represents characters from mine and Moonlit Assassin__'__s role-plays, so if none of you get them, then I__'__ll do a list of who the characters are again (as Pokemon)._

_My Pokemon are: Luca (Lucario), Gabrielle (Gardevoir), Galden (Gallade), Flopsy (Lopunny), Volcan (Vaporeon), Sasha (Blissey) and Rida (Rapidash)._

_Moony__'__s Pokemon: Lucy (Lucario), General Sala (Salamence), Flipsy (Flygon), Algol (Pikachu), Choppy/Chop Suey (Pikachu), Sirius (Arcanine) and Procyon (Houndoom)._

_Thanks everyone for reading! And I hope you review!_

_Regiibaru, signing out!_

_**+Cam/Regii+ **__**~And Star too!~**_


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